A fast-moving wildfire fanned by gale-force winds has been raging on the outskirts of France\u2019s second-largest city, Marseille, officials said, as firefighters around the Mediterranean battle blazes sparked by an intense heatwave.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fire is on the fringes of Marseille,\u201d the regional prefect, Georges-Fran\u00e7ois Leclerc, told reporters on Tuesday, adding that the blaze was not yet stable or contained, but the situation appeared to be \u201cunder control\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe instructions are simple: have confidence in firefighters, let emergency services do their job, and stay indoors,\u201d he said. \u201cFirefighters are defending the city.\u201d France\u2019s interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, was due to arrive in the city during the evening.<\/p>\n
Fanned by a 70km\/h wind, with gusts reaching 100km\/h, the fire filled downtown Marseille with acrid smoke and flying cinders. Videos from the central Old Port area showed large plumes of smoke billowing over the city. About 450 people were evacuated, Marseille city hall said.<\/p>\n
It urged residents, especially in the northern 15th and 16th arrondissements, closest to the blaze, to \u201cstay inside so as to avoid any exposure to smoke\u201d from the fire. Four sports halls in the city were opened to accommodate any more evacuees.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can feel it, you can see it and you can smell it,\u201d Vanessa, a 16th arrondissement resident, told BFMTV. \u201cIt\u2019s horrific. We\u2019re all frightened. It\u2019s a catastrophe, you can\u2019t even put your nose outside the front door \u2013 in Marseille!\u201d<\/p>\n
Marseille airport cancelled all flights, train services to and from the north and north-west of the city were suspended, two motorways, main roads and several road tunnels in the city were closed, and many bus services halted, authorities said.<\/p>\n
map of the Marseille area<\/a><\/p>\n